


and in that moment, i swear none of us were lying

by OpticalCrown



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, so much shameless fluff man, some ooc too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 21:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7406086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpticalCrown/pseuds/OpticalCrown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years later, Keith would say that that was the most heartfelt 'thanks' he had ever spoken in his entire life. The two of them were being idiots on a beach, in the middle of the night.<br/>Something was bound to happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and in that moment, i swear none of us were lying

Nights on this planet are always hot and stuffy. Every breath feels like swallowing a mouthful of water, and the air clings to the skin like another layer of sweat. Keith grumbles and twists around in his hammock, his bangs already plastered to his forehead. In this hazy consciousness a voice buzzes by his face, and he tries to smother his ears with a pillow.

“-st, Keith! Keith, wake up!”

Incoherent mumbles rattle off his tongue, and a hand shakes him back and forth a few times, for good measure.

“Keiiiiith, Keeiiiiiiith, wakey-wakey!”

“Mmph... No way...”

Someone flicks him in the forehead, and he slaps out blindly, the flat of his palm landing a perfect strike against a cheek. The yelp makes Keith's eyes flutter open, and he glares at Lance with squinted eyes.

“What... What the _fuck_ are you doing?”

“Shhh!”

Keith blinks a few more times, rubbing at his eyes before he can properly look at Lance again. Lance is somehow wide-awake in the dead of night, and his dark blue eyes look like chips of black inside the Paladins' dim hut. Sweat is beading down Lance's face, and Keith pushes him back a few inches.

“Your face looks gross,” he whispers.

“Like you can say anything better,” Lance chirps quietly, pushing back Keith's bangs. “Let's go to the beach. The temperature is perfect right now.”

“For swimming? At night?”

“We don't have to swim, but it's still waaaay too hot.”

Keith pretends to mull over the decision for a minute, watching Lance's crest-fallen face from the corner of his eyes.

“Sure.”

Next thing he knows Lance nearly slams them both into the ground -- just by trying to get him out of the hammock.

 

“You're not planning on going back in wet clothes, are you?” Keith yells. He's sitting sensibly on the dry sand, the waves barely tickling his toes. A groan ripples through him as Lance wades out even further into the water, soaking the hem of his shorts.

“Don't be a kill-joy! They're gonna dry in no time! Now roll up those stupid capris and get over here!”

“'They're gonna dry in no time'! Not in this humidity,” Keith mutters under his breath. Still, he obliges, stepping into the water with cuffed pant-legs before making his way over to Lance. The coolness of the water is so refreshing, that for his last few steps he splashes over, grinning.

“So, why do you want me here?” he asks, panting by Lance.

Lance points at the sand being shifted about under the waves. Under the bright light of the multiple moons, all the different colors of it refract and sparkle.

“Can you see that? The Me'ala weren't joking about the mineral deposits on this planet.”

Keith peers closer into the water, where he can see chunks of crystal scattered within the sand.

“So?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Pick something. Whatever pops out.”

A snicker leaps from Keith's lips, and he gives Lance an incredulous look.

“Feeling sappy?”

“Asshole, no gift for you then!”

Keith clicks his tongue and starts running his hands through the sand with a scowl.

“Fine, I'm picking some, you pushy-boyfriend.”

“Asshole boyfriend.”

“You're the one dating the asshole.”

“Only because he was luckily two levels away from being a douchebag.”

The two of them go silent, before dissolving into fits of quiet laughter. The corner of Keith's eyes crinkle up as he paws through the sand.

There's all sorts of beautiful stones and shells, and they shine in so many different colors that he can't be sure what exactly to pick. A black stone sticks out from the bunch, and he instinctively reaches for it, making a soft noise as he realizes that twisting the angle of it changes its color into a gorgeous midnight blue. With the stone still in his hand, he peeks at Lance, who's staring out into the sea. It feels like it's been ages since Keith last saw that calm smile, the angles of his face sharply defined by the shadows.

Under the light, his eyes have become that lovely blue color, but when Lance glances down they're black again.

“What?”

Keith snaps his head back down, grabbing a hexagonal shell that he sees at random.

“Here ya' go,” he says, handing the two things over.

“Oh, water-themed stuff! You're so sweet, _hunny._ ”

Lance shrieks as Keith nearly kicks out his legs. He hops and splashes about in the water, arms frantically waving about. Finally, when both feet are firmly planted on the sand again, he breathes heavily, pausing only for a second to swear at Keith.

“You say that again, and I'll have to choke you to death or something,” Keith says with a nonchalant gesture.

“You really hate it that much-!”

There's red spread all over Keith's face, and Lance's face nearly splits in two from grinning so hard.

“Oh shit, are you serious? _Sappy nicknames_? _That's_ your greatest weakness?”

“Do you _want_ to get drowned tonight?” Keith snaps.

“Nope, but that doesn't change the fact that you've been super sappy tonight too. Like I said, water-themed stuff!” he exclaims, waving about the stone and shell clutched in his palm. “You're so sweet, pfffft!”

“S-so what?! Anyways, what're gonna do with that stuff?” Keith stutters, changing the subject as fast as he can.

He's so flustered that Lance decides to humor him this once. He looks closely at the two things, mulling over all his options.

“Something simple and convenient, for sure. How about a charm?” he asks, holding the stone up to the sky.

“What do you mean?” Keith asks. His blush is just beginning to fade.

“You know, like a phone strap? A loop of string with something dangling off it?”

Keith's eyebrows scrunch up as he tries to imagine what Lance is talking about.

“You better teach me how to use one, then.”

“You serious? You didn't have a whole bunch of those things hanging off your stuff when you were little? My siblings _collected_ whole _sets_!”

“...Orphan brat, remember?”

If Lance could mentally slap the heck out of his dumb brain sometimes, he would do exactly that right now. He groans and rubs the back of his neck, shooting Keith an apologetic look.

“Fuck, point taken.”

Keith plays it off surprisingly well, shrugging like nothing's wrong. A tiny island is visible in the distance and he pretends to be engrossed in it for a good minute, smoothing out any bad feelings swirling in the pit of his stomach. The uneasiness subsides, like it always does.

He dangles a hand towards Lance without looking, the water reflecting patches of moonlight over the pale skin.

“Let's go back to the shore.”

It's more of a plea than a suggestion, and Lance interlocks their fingers in seconds, snickering as Keith jumps. The two of them swing their hands back and forth, splashing up water as they go back. When they hit the shore, they almost giggle like dumb school kids, spinning around in a circle so that they can both face the water again as they tumble down onto the beach. Their laughs die down, to be replaced with the noises of the night around them. Even on a planet millions of light years away, bugs still sing on humid nights and the waves still crest and crash onto sandy beaches, even if only a bit slower than what Lance is used to back home. It's quiet, and most importantly, it's peaceful. When they're all running and fighting every single day, a moment like this becomes so much bigger, so much more treasured. Keith rests his head in his knees, his grip on Lance letting up a touch. In response, Lance's fingers go slack, so that their hands are loosely, comfortably intertwined.

“We're dumbasses, aren't we?” Keith whispers.

“Yep. You're the bigger one though,” Lance declares.

“Excuse me?”

“Your confession was so shitty I had to ask Shiro for a translation.”

“Do you _have_ to always bring that up? It's like your favorite thing to humiliate me with.”

“Yep. It was like the _only_ time I ever had an edge over you.”

Keith grumbles and squishes his face back into his knees, wondering if a nap would be a good idea, especially when the breeze is cool and he can feel the warmth of Lance's hand. Lance sees Keith adjust his seat in the sand, and an idea forms in his mind. He holds back a snicker, then arches his head back, as if about to proclaim something for all to hear. Keith looks over just in time to see the devious gleam in Lance's eyes, and he makes an exasperated sigh. He leans away an inch, wondering what's about the happen next. Lance even glances down with a half-lidded stare, the one that he knows Keith is so weak to.

“Keith.”

“What the fuck are you planning?”

Lance won't answer him, and instead... He talks.

“Everything you didn't have growing up, I promise that I'll give you it all and more. And when this is all over, I want you to meet my family-”

In less than a second Keith rips his hand away from Lance's and he's sprinting as far as he dares into the waves. Before he knows it he's even dived underwater to hide himself in the pitch-blackness. Cold waves roll over him as he holds his breath stubbornly, but his heart beats erratically. A slew of bubbles spills from his cheeks as he keeps replaying Lance's words in his brain.

Back on the sand Lance is choking on his spit, howling with laughter, and when Keith emerges from the waves, hair plastered to his face, Lance bends over, clutching at his stomach.

“Fuck! Hahahaha! I'm sorry Keith, pffft! Come back!”

Keith's response is to spit a mouthful of seawater in Lance's direction.

“Shut up!” he screams, refusing to budge until Lance has to swim over himself and physically haul him back to shore, using what he barely remembers of his lifeguard training from summers before.

 

They sit on dry sand again, shivering, but Keith's face is bright red again. He's so embarrassed that his first reaction to hearing Lance say that is to literally freak out and run into the ocean. Can't he have handled that more tactfully? His heart won't stop doing that freaking annoying “pitter-patter” thing either, and Keith flops about in the sand, wondering if that will help.

“Hey, shitty boyfriend?”

“Yes, asshole?”

His back is facing Lance for extra protection, and he curls up slightly.

“You really meant that?”

In response, Lance lies down onto the sand with him, staring up at all the lopsided moons and unfamiliar constellations.

“Uh, you mean about giving you the childhood you never had and dragging you to see everyone at home after we're done kicking Zarkon's ass? Actually, yeah.”

“Man, they're probably gonna hate me,” Keith groans, rolling over. Sand sticks to his skin and hair as he does, and Lance off-handedly brushes some off his boyfriend's cheek.

“Thanks. Anyways, bringing home a Garrison drop out? I'll be lucky to survive, let alone get their approval.”

“You think?”

“We're not 'defenders of the universe' or anything back home, idiot. Hell, we're making sure that the Galra never even reach Earth to begin with. There, I'm just Keith, the wash-out with disciplinary issues.”

“Also the guy who literally hid out in the desert for a whole year in a _shack_ , interpreting mysterious cave markings and signals from space.”

“Uh, not helping.”

Lance chuckles and taps Keith's shoulder.

“...Keith, heads up?”

“Hm?”

He leans in for a quick peck on the lips, but they both jerk away at the last second.

“Ow! You still suck at this,” Keith snaps, rubbing his nose.

“My bad, my bad.”

Keith reaches out for Lance's head, eyeing the distance between the both of them while looking from side to side to figure it all out. Eventually he twists Lance's head to the left, and he tilts to the right as he leans in, this time making sure the kiss is just right. They're lips press together, and Keith drags just the tip of his tongue against Lance's flower-petal smooth lips. If anything's good about this humidity, it's that no one on this planet has chapped lips; ever. Both of their mouths open, and they sloppily try to feel the insides of each others' mouths, each wondering when or how to deepen the kiss before they back away for air. Lance softly pants, pretending to hold his chin and be deep in thought.

“Hmmm, I think I'll give that... a two.”

“It was at least a three, you jerk.”

“Practice makes perfect, I guess.”

“You hate practicing anything.”

“Well, then again I was hoping that I'd have some sort of god-given talent, if we're being honest here.”

“Says the guy who smashes noses together.”

“Ugh.”

Lance looks into Keith's shining eyes and red face, and his own expression turns serious. He loves seeing how Keith's eyes widen in response, and he doesn't care if they both look like idiots with sand sticking to their faces right now.

He _wants_ to say this.

Right now.

“I really, _really_ like you, y'know?!”

“What the hell, Lance?”

Lance cups Keith's face in a palm, making sure that Keith can see his eyes, so that Keith knows he's not lying. If he ever chickens out, Keith will remember this moment, and make he'll sure Lance remembers it as well. Keith seems almost scared, but he keeps his eyes locked with Lance's, his own hand rising up to grab onto the one on his cheek.

“I like you, so I'm gonna make sure my whole family likes you just as much as I do! Well, maybe not as much as me,” Lance blabbers, “but almost as much! That way, my mother will spoil you even more rotten with some of the best food ever, and you'll have to listen for hours to all the stupid shit my aunts and uncles are up to, and whenever you have nightmares, instead of just an idiot with lion slippers, you'll have an idiot with lions slippers and a whole bunch of tiny idiots ready to make you feel better and, and -!”

Lance pauses to swallow hard, his Adam's Apple bobbing up and down.

“And we'll all be family! Together, forever!”

 

In this moment, Lance is shining.

Keith is sure of it as he stares, enraptured by Lance and the utter stupidity of his words. Forever? Something like that is impossible, but when Lance says it so earnestly, how can he not believe it? Tears begin to sting and burn Keith's eyes, but his vision remains steadfast and focused on Lance, even as it blurs and grows hazy.

 _Oh shit, I fell in love with the biggest idiot in the universe_ , he thinks, feeling the tears trail down his face. Lance sits up in a panic and pulls him up as well, frantically wiping away the streaks as Keith laughs and tries to push away the sandy fingers.

_But I already knew that, didn't I?_

He manages to take a deep, shuddering breath, and presses his forehead against Lance's, laughing and crying. More laughs bubble up as he hears Lance beginning to sob as well.

Keith knows nothing he says right now could ever possibly match up, but still, he tries.

 

* * *

 

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think I've ever fallen so badly for a ship as Klance. It's so good.


End file.
